The Star Wars Trilogy are not only my favorite of George Lucas's work, they are my favorite movies of all time. Combining the music of John Williams, the visual style of Ralph McQuarrie, and most importantly the imagination of George Lucas, it just doesn't get any better. I know that I am not alone in this opinion: Star Wars is one of the most popular creations ever, spawning video games, novels, a monopoly game, a Christmas special, comic books(old Marvel and new Dark Horse), ewok movies, ewok and droids cartoons, a role-playing game, a customizable card game in the style of Magic: The Gathering, and even Star Wars bed sheets and pillow cases and various toys. Few creations thrive this strongly more than 20 years after their release; this is proof of greatness. George Lucas's goal to create a modern myth in the tradition of all great fantasy that can be appreciated by all ages has been realized. Star Wars is primarily fantasy, not science fiction. The focus of the trilogy is the story of a father and twins(a son and a daughter); and more broadly of the epic struggle of an independent band of rebels against the evil tyranny of a technilogically advanced empire, and of a young boy's place in this struggle and the process of self-discovery he undergoes. The technology and special effects which are present simply serve as the setting, a means to the end of telling the story in this fantasy world of a "galaxy far far away." Many recent films which rely on their special effects for entertainment could learn a valuable lesson from Star Wars. This point is reinforced by the fact that the Star Wars trilogy made more money in its re-release after 20 years than most of these new special effects films. Filmmakers take note. Well, at least we can be confident that the Star Wars prequels will once again bring us quality fantasy/sci-fi. It's about time.
